The Outlaw Savior
by Bellatrix wannabe 89
Summary: What if the bar wasn't the first time Regina saw her soulmate? What if she not only saw Robin before that, but he had tried to rescue her from the life she never wanted and Leopold's cruel hand. Will she agree to go with the Outlaw and find true love again or will she forever remain an unhappy Queen? OQ One shot


I own no one, Adam Eddy and ABC owns all

Regina sprinted towards the stables as fast as she could. The cold wet glass almost prickling her bare feet, the thin silky material of her nightgown giving her little to no protection from the stinging wind but she didn't care. She couldn't lay with him. Regina would not betray Daniel like that.

"Regina!" Leopold yelled at her as he sprinted after her, making the young queen speed up. The stinging red mark in the shape of a kingly hand across her face was a constant reminder of what he would do when he was angry with her.

Ignoring the familiar smells that sent her mind racing towards her former fiancée, Regina raced into the stables. The one place she ever felt safe until her mother had murdered her true love in front of her.

She cringed as she heard her name being shouted from her husband, his heavy footsteps getting closer. With trembling hands and a pounding heart, she had just started to open the gate to free Rocinante, the only horse Leopold had permitted her to bring from her home, when she heard Leopold enter the barn.

"How dare you!" he shouted, making her flinch as she turned towards him, her brown eyes wide with fear. "How dare you not only refuse your husband on your wedding night but you refuse your King as well! I could have your head for that!"

Regina swallowed hard, her lips trembling as Leopold stormed towards her. She was never a confrontational girl, never one to stand up for herself. Her mother's dark magic had made sure of that. Now instead of magic that held her at bay, it was her husband's hard hand.

"I- I'm sorry, your majesty," stammered Regina, her hands grabbing so tight onto the wooden beams next to her they turned white. "I- I just-."

"There is no excuse, Regina!" he barked at her, making her flinch again. "I am your husband and I am your King!"

He reached out to grab her but she quickly jumped back.

"You were too rough!" Regina cried out, desperate to make him understood why she fled from their bed chamber as she saw the storm brewing in his eyes. "You frightened me, I told you "no" and you didn't care!"

Leopold laughed like she had told some grand joke, all the while tears had begun to fill her doe brown eyes. He took a deep breath to calm his nerves. "I don't care rather I 'frightened you' or not, Regina. It is you duty as a wife to please me whenever or wherever I ask it. Now come here."

He grabbed Regina's arm and began to pull her away from the stables. "Let go of me!" she yelled, struggling against his iron clad grasp. "Leopold, stop!"

The old King sighed and released his wife's hand. He looked at her for a moment before he backhanded her HARD, making her cry out and fall to the stable floors.

There was a rustling in one of the empty stables in the back but neither Regina Leopold paid any attention to it. Probably just a rat seeing warmth and shelter for the night…

"I'm a very patient man, Regina…" Leopold told her as he walked over to the stable wall where they kept the riding crops and whips, his voice a freighting calm. "But I will NOT… Take insubordination from my wife."

He grabbed one of the whips from the wall and started back towards her. Regina's eyes went up, cringing away from her husband. "Your majesty, don't…" she told her, her voice a terrified whisper as tears fell down her face. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Leopold, please don't…"

"Regina…" he chided like she was a child, running the leather through his hands. "I am your king and your husband, and understand I will NOT tolerate you disrespecting me."

Leopold raised the whip in the air. "It hurts me I have to resort to this to make you understand that."

"Leopold, don't!"

WHOOSH!

An arrow flew so close to Leopold's head he felt the feather brush against his hair, slamming into the wall behind him.

Both Regina and Leopold whipped towards the direction where the arrow came from and saw a man, shrouded in a dark cloak with the hood up, his bow already loaded with another deadly arrow aimed at Leopold, standing inside the empty stable.

"Don't make a sound or the next arrow won't be a warning shot. Now Back away from the girl," the stranger barked, pulling the bow tighter.

Already Regina felt her heart race slowing in this stranger's presence. She knew he was going to save her...

If Leopold was nervous he didn't show it. He merely smirked at the hooded man without lowering the whip or backing away from Regina. "And who, may I ask, is so bold to threaten his King?"

"You are no king of mine," the man told him fiercely. "Now lower the whip and back away from the girl or the last thing you'll see is my arrow going in-between your eyes."

Slowly, Leopold lowered the whip and took a step back from Regina. The hero took the arrow from the bow but still kept it in hand. "Before I have you killed for threatening me, tell me your name and tell me now," Leopold demanded.

The mystery man lowered his hood and Regina swallowed hard as she looked at him. He was handsome. The second most handsomest man she had ever seen, Daniel being the first. As a matter of fact he reminded the young Queen of her dead lover in looks.

His eyes were a blazing blue that were currently narrowed in anger at the King with scruff on his face that showed he hadn't shaved in at least two days. He took a step into the light and Regina could see his simple clothes were slightly tattered and made from cheap peasant materials, something Daniel would have worn. He smelled of the earth and pine and Regina would have been lying if she said she didn't find that appealing. FAR more appearing to the expensive oils Leopold doused himself in that nearly choked her.

"The name is Robin Hood of Sherwood Forest." Seeing the King's wide eyes, Robin smirked. "I see you've heard of me."

Leopold shook the surprise from his eyes and glared at the Outlaw. "To be fair I hear of many low life criminals, it's hard to keep track."

Robin gave a humorless laugh. "Is this a joke? The man who hits his Queen and demands sex from her is calling me a lowlife?" Speaking of…" For the first time Robin turned to Regina and offered her his hand. "Are you alright, milady?"

His voice was far softer and kinder than it had been with Leopold. Regina opened her mouth to answer but Leopold interrupted. "My wife is fine."

"I was speaking to her," Robin barked with a sharp glare before turning back to Regina.

Regina swallowed hard before she nodded. "I-… I'm fine. Thank you, sir."

Robin walked over to her, his keen blue eyes never leaving Leopold's for a second. He reached his hand out towards Regina to help her up.

Regina swallowed hard, unable to take her eyes off of this stranger before she reached up and took hold of his hand.

As Robin pulled Regina to her feet, Leopold grabbed for his dagger in his belt, the one he always carried around with him. Like right now proved, a guard wouldn't always be close by to rescue him. "Get away from my wife!" Leopold shouted, taking a step towards Robin who quickly stood in front of Regina, resetting his bow and aiming it at the king.

"You treat her like she's a prized horse!" the outlaw shouted at him. "Like she's nothing more than something to parade around then to beat when she doesn't win a race, the whole kingdom sees it!"

"She is MY wife, I will do what I want to her as I see fit!"

"She's your queen!"

"Father!"

All three adults turned towards the voice and saw a terrified ten year old Snow.

"Snow, get out of here!" Regina cried out, frightened that the stranger's arrow might accidently go array and hit the young girl instead of the intended target.

Letting out a scared cry the girl ran to Leopold, trying to get in front of him to block the arrow but Leopold quickly hid his daughter behind him, looking absolutely terrified for the first time tonight. "Please don't hurt him!" Snow cried, peeking her head out from behind Leopold. "Please don't hurt my father!"

Robin's face fell as he gaze at the tear stained face of the young girl. He lowered his bow and put the arrow back in his quiver. He wouldn't kill a man in front of their child. His conscious would never allow it.

"I won't hurt him, young princess," Robin assured her gently. "I only came in here for a night away from the cold. But I will not have your father hurting this young woman."

Snow sniffed away more tears and shook her head. "Father would never hurt my new mother," she told him, believing the words with all her heart. "She's his true love."

Robin opened his mouth to argue but Regina tapped him on the shoulder and shook her head. Snow had no idea of the hell Leopold put her through and idolized her father more than anyone else alive. She would not let some random stranger take that away from her.

Robin seemed to understand the message and instead turned back to Leopold and Snow. "My mistake. If one is your true love, you would NEVER hurt them," he said with a sharp glare at Leopold who knew even without an arrow in hand not to argue with the thief.

Without another word Robin glanced around the horse stalls, "what is your favorite horse, my _king_?" he asked with a sneer, letting Leopold know full and well he didn't consider him kingly in any regard.

Leopold swallowed hard but remained silent. Robin started to ask again when Snow spoke again. "Regum. The big black one on the end."

Leopold groaned but didn't say anything as Robin strode over and grabbed a saddle and saddle blanket from the wall behind him.

"Stealing the King's horse is a crime worthy of death, outlaw," Leopold remind him as Robin opened the stall and lead Regum out into the open, fitting him with the saddle.

Robin climbed onto the great horses back and glared down at Leopold. "So is striking the Queen." With that, Robin turned back to Regina and offered his hand again. "Come with me, milady," said Robin, his voice soft and gentle, befitting a TRUE king. "I swear on all the Gods that I will protect you from any harm or retaliation that may come to you, even if it means laying down my own life for you. Let me take you away from this Hell. "

Regina's brown eyes went wide and her lip trembled as she stared up at him. This was her chance for freedom and escape from this wretched life. She might even find love again, maybe even with this stranger.

The young queen swallowed hard and had just begun to raise her hand to take Robins outstretched one when Snow let out a desperate frantic sob. "Please don't go, Mother!" Regina whipped her head around just as Snow ran from behind Leopold, clutching her skirt as f to physically hold her back from leaving. "I need you here! I love you!"

Regina looked down at the girl and considered her for a moment. A part of her absolutely hated Snow with every fiber of her being. She would even fantasize about killing her sometimes. If it wasn't for Snow, she and Daniel would have been married already in a quiet little village together and happy. He would work with horses, she would sell things at market and be the perfect wife and eventually mother... but because of Snow, that dream had been crushed. And there was a part of Regina that would never forgive her for that.

But… Snow needed a mother in the worst way. Not to mention if she left, some other poor young girl would have to take Regina's place in Leopold's bedchambers and there was no way Regina could let that happen. She could never be that cruel…

The queen took a deep shuddering breath before she turned back towards Robin tears in her eyes. "I have never wanted anything more than to take your hand right now," she told Robin, her voice shaking with tears. "But I can't leave her. I can't let her be without a mother."

Robin's face fell as he stroked Regina's cheek, wiping away the tears as she closed her eyes, leaning against his gentle touch. His hand was rough and calloused from hard labor, just like Daniel's hands had been. "Sherwood Forest," he told her softly. "If you ever change your mind I'll be there waiting for you, milady."

Regina nodded, taking one last moment to savior the tender moment before she pulled away, taking Snow by the shoulders and gently guiding her away from the large horse. Taking one last look at Regina, Robin kicked the horse into a gallop and rode hard out of the stables and into the night.

Snow immediately threw her arms around Regina, burying her face in her step mothers dress and began crying with relief. "It's alright, Snow," Regina told her as she looked at Robin as he rode further and further away. "Everything's going to be alright…"

Leopold let out a breath he didn't realize he had been holding and walked over and stood behind Regina, putting his hands on her shoulders and leaned in close. "You will pay for that dearly, Regina," he muttered softly so only Regina could hear him. "I promise you."

Regina closed her eyes as tears started to fall down her cheeks again, grimacing as he squeezed his shoulders painfully hard. "Put my daughter to bed then go into our bedchambers. If you're not there in fifteen minutes, I'll have my guards hunt you down and string you up from a tree."

Regina bit back a sob as she nodded. "Ye- yes, your majesty," she told him, her voice breaking with tears.

"Good." He kissed the side of her head and walked away, picking up the horse whip and carrying it out with him.

Snow looked up and furrowed her brow in confusion. "What's wrong, Mother? Why are you crying?"

Regina took a shaky breath as she wiped away her tears, her hands shaking with the fear of what she knew was coming. "Noth- nothing, Snow." She forced a clearly fake smile to her lips. "I'm just glad you're okay."

Snow grinned at the lie as Regina took her hand and led her out of the stables a defeated woman knowing that he would never see her outlaw savior ever again…

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